What the Hell is that Smell?

Those spring showers are in full force and you’re new stylish rain boots have just been delivered to your door. You are SO excited!! You tear into the package, open the shoe box and WHAM! You are hit with a left hook by a smell that could K.O. Mike Tyson.

Could it be…? Nnnnooooooooooooo! The smell is coming from your fabulously stylish new rain boots. How can you be hip and happening when Pepe Le Pew will be all over you like white on rice?

So here’s the thing. Rain boots are made out of rubber. Duh, we all know that. But did you know that rubber is not naturally waterproof? In fact it can get all sticky and lose its shape when wet and gets brittle when cold.

To make the rubber waterproof and hold its shape, it has to be vulcanized. This is a process of curing the rubber which uses, among other things, sulfur. And we all know how stinky that stuff can be….

Now, not all boots will have an odor. In fact, the majority destinkify long before we get them in our warehouse. But sometimes newly manufactured rain boots produce an off-gas that is pretty potent. Like eye wateringly strong. Pepe will soon-be-proposing-marriage-strong.

“Hello, cheri. Where did you get your lovely perfume?”

So, how do you get rid of the smell? Ultimately it will fade with time but if you want to speed up the process, here is what I recommend.

The two F’s. Fresh air and FaBreeze ™.

Spray the insides of the boots a couple of times a day with FaBreeze and put them outside in a shady spot to air out. Preferably not someplace that gets too warm or too cold. Or where the real Pepe can get to them and run away to the Kasbah.

And give them a bit of time. Soon enough you will be Puddle Stomping in Style with your stylishly unstinky rain boots. And Pepe will once again be courting poor Penelope pussycat.